The Florentines: A Three Part Mini-Series for Television

By Norman Stokle

Set in the time of Savonarolas rise to power, this television series documents the conflict between medieval and Renaissance values in the confrontation between the celebrated Dominican friar and the citizens of Florence. All the bustle and vibrant energy of the Italian Renaissance come to life in this colorful canvas with its varied rhythms of action, crisp dialogue, and blend of historical and fictional characters. Here is an entertaining study of human motivation that is valid for all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 21, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453560228

Norman Stokle

Born and raised in County Durham, England, Norman Stokle has spent most of his working life teaching French language, civilization and literature at universities across the United States, as well as in Rennes and Paris, France, and Zaria, Nigeria. He received his Ph.D from Syracuse University, studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and musical composition at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. He has appeared in many stage and television plays and feature films and was a long-time member of Dear Conjunction, the English theater group, based in Paris. He has written several books and numerous articles on French and francophone literature. His most recent publications include co-authorship of a satirical novel, Cheeseburgers in the Rose Room (Trafford, 2009), Plays for the Sinful (Authorhouse, 2009), a TV mini-series: The Florentines (Xlibris, 2010), Three French Comedies (Xlibris, 2011), a musical fantasy: Beauty, the Beast & Some Clowns (Xlibris, 2013). Currently, he spends most of his time in California, playing Pétanque and giving occasional lectures to friends at Fresno’s Alliance Française. He can be reached by email at: [e-mail]

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Norman Stokle.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010912123

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4535-6021-1

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4535-6020-4

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4535-6022-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

77364

Contents

ALSO BY NORMAN STOKLE

SYNOPSIS

PART I

PART II

PART III

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For permission to perform or exploit this work for

commercial purposes, please contact:

Ms. Cindy Brace,

c/o CMS Experts Associes,

149 Boulevard Malesherbes,

75017 Paris. France.

Email: [e-mail]

Telephones: (33) 1 45 26 33 42 or (33) 6 71 10 60 10

For Gerry, Ellie and Dorothy

ALSO BY NORMAN STOKLE

Plays for the Sinful

The Siege of Saint Michel & Two Other Screenplays

Cheeseburgers in the Rose Room (co-author)

SYNOPSIS

PART I: THE ASCENDANCY

Under Lorenzo de Medici, Florence is at the height of its commercial and cultural Renaissance. Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola and numerous other distinguished painters, writers and artists of all kinds produce masterpieces attracting the attention of the civilized world. Florentine goldsmiths, weavers, wool merchants, artisans and bankers extend their influence across Europe. Trade booms. Even the beggars are fat.

But Lorenzo’s health is undermined by gout and there is no obvious successor to lead the Florentine Republic. Worse still, that republic has no standing army to discourage outside invaders. To complicate matters even further, Fra Girolamo Savonarola, the newly appointed Prior of San Marco, is attracting increasingly large congregations to hear his provocative sermons. The Prior’s most favorite target is Lorenzo de Medici, himself, whose regime is based upon license, expediency and nepotism rather than Christian precepts. Gradually, the Convent of San Marco becomes the focal point of a movement seeking social, political and religious reforms throughout Italy.

We trace the evolution of this movement inside the Convent of San Marco through encounters between Savonarola and his principle associates: Domenico and Silvestro. Luigi, our Florentine man-in-the-street, provides the measure of local opinion as we see him buffeted between the opposing forces in the city and concocting ingenious schemes in order to make a living.

After initially trying unsuccessfully to bribe Savonarola into a more pliable stance on issues of state, Lorenzo and his counsellors hatch a plot to discredit him. Luigi is their instrument. The plot backfires, and Savonarola emerges from his tribulations stronger than ever.

Now, on his deathbed, Lorenzo asks Savonarola, the only honest monk in Florence, to grant him the last rights of the Church. Such an absolution, however, is conditional. The two men try to outwit each other in a final verbal joust. Nothing is resolved, Lorenzo dies, and Savonarola prepares to fill the power vacuum in his adopted City of the Flower.

PART II: THE POWER OF GOD

Faced with an imminent invasion by the French army, Florence turns to Savonarola for guidance and protection. The Prior agrees to meet the French King who has established his camp in Pisa. Through a mixture of clever diplomatic cajoling and prophetic threats, Savonarola persuades the king to pass through Florence peacefully with his rapacious army. This action secures the Prior’s reputation as the savior of the city. Many distinguished Florentine families rally behind him and promote his cause for political and religious reform. Savonarola finds himself projected reluctantly into a leadership role in the governance of the city.

For his part, Luigi survives as best he can by passing himself off as a Dominican monk and by supplying useful military information to the French army.

Confronted with the increasing clamor for Church reform spear-headed by Savonarola, Pope Alexander Borgia initially temporizes, then attempts to bribe the Prior with a cardinal’s hat. The latter rejects the papal inducement. The final carnival scene, in which Luigi tries to turn the event to his financial benefit, reveals the complete Christianization of the festival with the singing of hymns in religious processions and the destruction of vanities on numerous bonfires.

Surrounded on all sides by fanatical outpourings of religious fervor, Luigi and his friend, Giulia, wonder if the theocratical bonanza will ever end.

PART III: DECLINE AND FALL

Savonarola’s opponents move against him. The Pope orders him to desist from all preaching under pain of excommunication. When Savonarola resists, the Pope threatens to place an interdict on the city, an act which would effectively undermine its ability to trade. Faced with the imminent danger of commercial collapse, the Florentine government reluctantly concludes that Savonarola must be sacrificed. But how to proceed?

The Prior resorts to desperate counter-measures, appeals to the crowned heads of Europe to support a General Council for Church reform. This is tantamount to a declaration of war against the Holy See.

Giulia, now the Pope’s mistress, devises a scheme to promote Savonarola’s downfall. With Luigi’s connivance, she arranges an Ordeal by Fire between the Dominican and Franciscan camps. Domenico confronts Mariano. Whoever survives the Ordeal will demonstrate his favor with God. Savonarola opposes the idea but is unable to quell the popular tide.

The Ordeal produces no miracle. Savonarola is discredited. The crowd attacks San Marco. The Dominican friars defend themselves gallantly with an assortment of weapons until Savonarola intervenes, ordering them to lay down their arms. He gives himself up to the hostile crowd, is imprisoned, tortured, tried and sentenced to death along with Domenico and Silvestro.

As he awaits his hour of execution, Savonarola traverses a moment of doubt concerning the sincerity of his motives and his relationship with God. Were his intentions genuinely disinterested, or was he merely tempted by worldly ambition and power? The moment of doubt passes and he faces his executioners on the Piazza della Signoria with renewed faith.

Luigi, now the official executioner, negotiates the sale of Savonarola’s possessions for a tidy profit. He and Giulia renew their friendship and celebrate their own private carnival. The embodiment of the true Florentine spirit, they emerge as the ultimate victors.

PART I

THE ASCENDANCY

101—A MAP OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE IN THE LATE

15TH. CENTURY

ESTABLISHING SHOT of the map.

BEGIN TITLES OVER.

CAMERA slowly approaches the Italian peninsula, then veers towards the City of Florence.

CLOSE UP of Florence with the River Arno running across it.

In the background, distant SOUNDS OF CARNIVAL MERRYMAKING: music, laughter, shouting.

102—A PANORAMIC VIEW OF 15TH. CENTURY FLORENCE

CAMERA pans over the medieval city.

We notice some of the major buildings and landmarks: the cathedral, the churches of Santa Croce and San Marco, the Medici Palace, the Strozzi Gardens, the River Arno with its famous Ponte Vecchio, etc.

TITLES OVER CONTINUE.

CAMERA finally hovers over the Piazza della Signoria.

HIGH ANGLE CAMERA SHOT slowly CLOSES IN.

SOUNDS OF MERRYMAKING and EXPLODING FIREWORKS increase in volume.

103—THE PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA IN FLORENCE—EXT—NIGHT

Carnival time, 1491.

The square is bedecked with festive bunting, banners, flags, etc.

FIREWORKS illuminate the night sky.

Groups of MERRYMAKERS are scattered about the square. They generate a considerable volume of BOISTEROUS NOISE: laughter, shouts, musical instruments.

A group of young MERRYMAKERS cross the square, dancing and laughing, before disappearing into an adjacent street.

HORSEMEN open a pathway through the festive crowd for a passing CARRIAGE. Inside, we notice LORENZO DE MEDICI and POLIZIANO. They smile to the crowd who respond with shouts of Lorenzo, Lorenzo, viva Lorenzo il Magnifico!

On one side of the square, other MERRYMAKERS barter noisily with TRADERS selling an assortment of Carnival food and trinkets. Elsewhere, ONLOOKERS observe performing JUGGLERS, a FIRE-EATER and ACROBATS.

END OF TITLES OVER.

CAMERA CLOSES IN on a group of YOUNG MEN teasing and caressing some YOUNG WOMEN. Much LAUGHTER and SHOUTING. Some drink from goblets.

FIRST YOUNG MAN

All these birds, willing and able.

With outstretched arms, he grabs a YOUNG WOMAN by the waist.

YOUNG WOMAN

Willing, but choosy!

SECOND YOUNG MAN

Hey, Giaccomo, watch those hands.

FIRST YOUNG MAN

(to Young Woman)

Your parents let you out?

YOUNG WOMAN

What do you think?

SECOND YOUNG WOMAN

She sneaked out the window.

All laugh.

SECOND YOUNG MAN

Let’s go to the Strozzi Garden.

FIRST YOUNG MAN

And explore the bushes.

The FIRST YOUNG MAN drags off the YOUNG WOMAN without much resistance. The others follow.

THREE YOUTHS and TWO PROSTITUTES emerge from a narrow side street scuffling with SILVESTRO, a Dominican monk in his late teens.

SILVESTRO is masked and his cassock is completely hidden by a large cape.

His assailants shout obscenities, then enclose him inside a dancing circle. SILVESTRO tries to break the circle. A PROSTITUTE tears off his mask.

FIRST YOUTH

Fra Silvestro!

SECOND YOUTH

(mocking reproach)

Hiding your habit and no prayer book!

The FIRST YOUTH seizes SILVESTRO.

FIRST YOUTH

Whoring, tonight, eh, little monk?

FIRST PROSTITUTE

Oiling the rod before it gets rusty?

SECOND YOUTH

Savonarola will not be pleased.

The FIRST PROSTITUTE advances toward SILVESTRO and offers him her enormous breasts.

FIRST PROSTITUTE

Want a good lay, preacher?

Hysterical laughter.

FIRST YOUTH

Try one of these virgins.

He thrusts Silvestro’s face into her deep cleavage.

CLOSE UP of SILVESTRO. His face is livid with anger and hatred.

SECOND PROSTITUTE

Give him your crabs, Maria!

All laugh, chant Domini cani and make DOG and WOLF NOISES.

SILVESTRO tries hard to resist but is forced to his knees by the FIRST YOUTH.

FIRST YOUTH

On your knees, little monk!

SECOND YOUTH

(to First Prostitute)

Confess him, Maria.

SECOND PROSTITUTE

Tell us your dirty thoughts.

FIRST PROSTITUTE

Your dirty deeds.

The SECOND YOUTH stands directly in front of SILVESTRO and points a finger towards Heaven.

SECOND YOUTH

How many times have you dipped your little chunky? Tell him.

SILVESTRO manages to grab hold of a stick. He counter-attacks.

More scuffling.

SILVESTRO

May the flames of Hell burn you all!

His ASSAILANTS pretend to be enveloped by hell-fire.

YOUTHS AND PROSTITUTES

Out with the flames! Ah! Ah! I’m burning to death. Aaaaah!

They hurl wine from their goblets at each other and at SILVESTRO. Some of it spills over his clothing.

A COMMANDING VOICE

(off)

Leave him.

Everyone turns around.

LUIGI, a young man in his mid-twenties, appears, wearing a mask.

A DAGGER glistens in his hand.

LUIGI

Leave him, I say!

FIRST YOUTH

God’s sent him a guardian angel!

LUIGI moves forward threateningly.

SECOND YOUTH

Gently, my friend. He’s all yours.

The circle around SILVESTRO opens.

LUIGI goes up to him.

SECOND PROSTITUTE

Take him back to Savonarola.

FIRST YOUTH

And his fancy boys.

SECOND YOUTH

Give him a big kiss from me.

The YOUTHS and PROSTITUTES move off, laughing and barking mockingly like dogs.

LUIGI takes SILVESTRO by the arm and leads him in the other direction.

LUIGI

The trash from Canette Street.

LUIGI removes his mask. His face and demeanor are typically Florentine.

SILVESTRO

Luigi!

LUIGI

You all right?

SILVESTRO nods his head.

LUIGI

This is no night for the honest clergy.

(He studies Silvestro a moment)

Silvestro, are you sure you belong at San Marco?

SILVESTRO is troubled by the question. He hesitates.

FRA SILVESTRO

I . . . I don’t know, yet.

LUIGI

I mean, if you want to put yourself to the test, you should show your uniform instead of trying to hide it.

SILVESTRO touches LUIGI’s shoulder.

SILVESTRO

Thanks for . . . bailing me out just now. I’d better get back.

LUIGI

Stay with me, if you like.

SILVESTRO

No . . . Thanks.

He moves to leave.

SOUNDS of approaching MERRYMAKERS.

LUIGI

Not the river. All the riff-raff’s down there.

(He points in the opposite direction)

This way.

SILVESTRO changes direction.

LUIGI

Take care. And, oh, Silvestro . . .

(pointing up to Heaven)

Put in a good word for me.

LUIGI watches SILVESTRO scurry off down a side street.

He quickly slips his mask on again as the group of masked MERRYMAKERS passes by, dancing, singing, clapping hands in time to musical instruments.

One of the group is GIULIA, a voluptuous young woman in her early twenties. LUIGI eyes her sensual body with pleasure. She smiles at him flirtatiously, blows him a kiss.

LUIGI follows her and the rest of the group as they move off in the direction of the river Arno.

104—CONVENT OF SAN MARCO, THE CLOISTER—EXT—NIGHT

SILVESTRO suddenly appears over the top of a wall.

He surreptitiously looks about him, then drops to the ground and disappears into the shadows under the colonnade.

105—CONVENT OF SAN MARCO, THE HALLWAY LEADING TO THE MONKS’ DORMITORY—INT—NIGHT

SILVESTRO climbs hastily up a flight of stairs and enters the long hallway. He is out of breath, anxious, and very much the worse for his evening escapade. His cape is stained, torn and filthy.

At regular intervals, on each side of the hallway, are doors leading to the individual cells.

Suddenly, a door opens behind SILVESTRO.

VOICE OF SAVONAROLA

(off)

Who are you?

SILVESTRO freezes. He has recognized the voice.

SILVESTRO

(without turning around)

Fra Silvestro, Father.

VOICE OF SAVONAROLA

(off)

Come here.

Still wrapped in his cape, SILVESTRO turns and confronts GIROLAMO SAVONAROLA.

GIROLAMO SAVONAROLA is a short, well-proportioned man approaching forty. His skin is white, his cheeks rosy, his hair a thick reddish-brown. He has a large hooked nose, full lips, heavy brow with deep horizontal lines, grey-green penetrating eyes under bushy eyebrows. His hands are long and thin, his clothes patched but very clean, his shoes cobbled.

SAVONAROLA opens Silvestro’s cape with his hand, sees the wine-stained cassock.

SAVONAROLA

See me before matins.

SILVESTRO bows and withdraws quickly.

The